Surviving Children of Recent Helo Crash Offered College Educations by Tampa Charity

PR Log - Aug 10, 2011 - The Special Operations Warrior Foundation, a four-star rated charitable organization helping the children of fallen special operations personnel, announced today it will offer full college scholarships to the children of all of the U. S. military personnel who perished in the recent CH-47 helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

For the past 31 years, the SOWF has supported the families of fallen Special Operations members by providing college educations to their surviving children. Today, the foundation’s board of directors has decided to provide its services to the families of all U. S. troops aboard the helicopter that was downed on Aug. 6.

“This was a tragic day for our military and their families. While the majority of the military personnel onboard the CH-47 were special operators, and they are automatically covered by the foundation, we wanted to offer our services to all who were on that fateful mission,” said retired Air Force Col. John T. Carney, Jr., SOWF President. “The least we can do for the grieving families is to honor the sacrifices of their loved ones and to offer a college education to the surviving children.”

The SOWF is in the process of contacting all of the families of this tragic incident to inform them about the foundation’s college program, which provides funding for a full post-secondary education, including tuition, books, fees, room and board, and a computer and printer.

The SOWF currently has 144 children of fallen Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps special operations personnel enrolled in colleges and universities across the country, and the foundation has seen 182 of its students graduate. In addition, there are nearly 600 children that are not yet college age that the foundation has pledged to provide a college education.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation is a top-rated charity that provides college educations to surviving children of fallen Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps special operations personnel as well as financial assistance for severely wounded.